
"Bitl 

(L. . / 

Bobby^— 
Bumpkin d 

©EORGE *KgIT EI<BRXLL 




COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 


t 































* 

# 

% 










































































































































































“ MY l” SAID TEDDY, 


“ IS THAT SO ?” 


Page 51 


Little 

Bobby Bumpkin 

AND OTHER JUVENILE VERSE 


GEORGE REITER BRILL 

» % 

AUTHOR OF “ ANDY AND THE IGNORAMUS * * 

ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR 


33 



> j > ) > > > > 

> ) :> ■) 

5 ) ) > 3 ) 

1 > 1 ) 

) > > ) > * 


AND PUBLISHED 



) > ) 
5 

) 5 





> ) 


DREXEL BIDDLE 


PHILADELPHIA 




4 


THF UeRAfiY OF 
CONGRESS, 

Two CoPsKe ReosivEr, 

SEP, 26 190? 

OoPVWWHT PNTT»v 

(5^. 2-7. tqcx 

CLASS ^L-XXo. No 

3-77 9 ' 

CO*Y 3. 


Copyright, 1902 

TY 

ANTHONY J. DREXEL BIDDLE 


< « « 
c ■< 
i ( 
< ( 


« C i 


► ® • 

k * 


c c < ( ( (. 


< c 

f C f 



c ( ( c << 





I 


TO 

MY LITTLE FRIENDS 
ROEY AND WAINWRIGHT, 
I RESPECTFULLY 
DEDICATE 
THIS VOLUME 






















































































































































I 



























































Through the courtesy of Wm. R. Miller, President of the 
International Syndicate, the Phelps Publishing Company, 
and the Edgewood Publishing Company, I feel grateful 
for the permission to reprint some of these little poems. 























































































































































































































































- 






































































































































































































































































































CONTENTS 


* 

BOB 13 V— BU^IPKIN AND SANTA CLAUS 9 

BOBBY BUMPKIN AND GEORGE WASHINGTON . . . . 12 

BOBBY BUMPKIN AND ‘ 1 APRIL FOOL ” I 5 

BOBBY BUMPKIN AND THE WOW WOW 1 8 

THE PIDDY-DINKS 2 1 

THE BEGINNING 2 1 

CARELESS JENNIE 24 

EVELINA CROSSPATCH 2 6 

TWO JOURNEYS 27 

THE HOP-TOAD HOP 28 

WHERE BABY WAS 29 

A RETROSPECT 30 

THE RINKY-DINKY-SO-RUS 32 

THE SINGING LESSON 33 

BABY 34 

DUCKY 35 

UNCLE JACK ,36 

THE KICK-A-DOO 37 

vii 


THE SCOFFER 38 

LITTLE BOY WITH A SLING 39 

BUZZ BUZZ 40 

THE LOOKING-GLASS BABY 40 

GOOD SHIP SLUMBERLEE 4 1 

THE RAGDOLPHIN 42 

QUEER WEATHER 44 

WILLIE WOULDN’T MIND 45 

FOOZLE-DOOZLE JOURNEYS 48 

THE TRAP MARKET HOUSE 53 

THE VENTURESOME PUPS 55 

THE BUGS’ REVENGE 57 

THE FAMILY 6 1 


♦ 


viii 


BOBBY BUMPKIN AND SANTA CLAUS 

Little Bobby Bumpkin 
Wouldn’t mind his Ma ; 

Thought his school and everything 
Worst he ever saw. 

Had no faith in Santa Claus, 

Said he was a fake 
If he couldn’t come around 


All about past Christmas days 
And the toys they brought. 

9 


Surely, Bobby Bumpkin 
Must have quite forgot 


As those you see in picture 


Never was a chimney 
Half so big and red 


Bobby often said. 


When a boy ’s awake. 


books, 




Bobby Bumpkin quite ignored 
All the things he said. 


Now he dreamed of engines. 
Tool chests, skates, a sled; 
Suddenly old Santa Claus 
Stood before his bed. 

IO 


“ Gracious me I" said Bobby, 
Rubbing both his eyes, 

“Dear, good Mister Santa Claus, 
This is a surprise !” 

“Dear, good Mister Santa Claus ” 
Didn’t frown or stare, 

Just turned down the coverlet, 
Spanked him then and there. 

Early Christmas morning 
Bobby wrote a letter, 
Thanking dear old Santa Claus 
And promised to be better. 



ii 


BOBBY BUMPKIN 
AND GEORGE WASHINGTON 

Little Bobby Bumpkin 
Wouldn’t mind, they say, 

Told his Ma a whopper 
One February day. 



Naughty Bobby Bumpkin 
Should have known, forsooth, 
All about the month in which 
We celebrate the truth. 


But, on the twenty-second, 

His father told with pride 
About the good George Washington, 
The boy who never lied. 


Of little Georgie Washington, 
Who chopped the cherry tree, 
Then said, “ I cannot tell a lie; 
0, daddy, it was me !” 


This made a deep impression 
On Bobby Bumpkin's mind, 

Who, now, to chop a cherry tree 
Was very much inclined. 

So getting out the hatchet, 

Sharpened well and bright, ^ 
Bobby Bumpkin started out 1 

To chop all trees in sight. ^ 


Chopping, chopping, 
chopping, 

Goodness, it was fun ! 
Every tree around the 
house, 

Nearly twenty-one. 



J 3 


“Now I ’ve beat George Washington ! ” 

Bobby proudly cried, 

But wondered why his Pa and Ma 
Didn’t coincide. 


Late that twenty-second, 
Bobby, in disgrace, 
Ate his frugal supper 



14 


BOBBY BUMPKIN AND ‘ APRIL FOOL 

Little Bobby Bumpkin 
'Rose on April First, 

Almost choked with laughter, 

Till his sides near burst. 

“Gee!" said Bobby Bumpkin, 
“This is April Fool ; 

How I pity teacher 
Up there at the school." 

Bobby fairly scampered, 

Scarcely ate a bite, 

Didn’t make his toilet, 

Threw things left and right. 

!5 



Clean forgot his lessons 
Thinking of the fun 
He would have with others 
Ere the day was done. 

Bobby, absent minded, 

Thinking up some tricks, 
Kicked a hat containing 
Two enormous bricks. 

Having reached the schoolhouse, 
Bobby was dismayed 
To find, upon his coat-tail, 

“April Fool” displayed. 

16 



Bobby, somewhat sobered, 

Went and took his place ; 
When teacher said, quite sternly, 
“ Bobby, wash your face. 

“That gives you two demerits; 

Spell 'Sebastopol/ ” 

Bobby missed, then shuffled 
To the Dunce’s stool. 

Home, that April evening, 
Bobby Bumpkin went, 

Feeling like an April Fool 
To the full extent. 

1 7 


BOBBY BUMPKIN AND THE WOW WOW 



Little Bobby Bumpkin 
Wouldn’t comb his hair; 

If his face was dirty, 

Bobby didn’t care. 

Couldn’t teach him manners. 
Couldn’t make him mind ; 

Never studied lessons, 

Always got behind. 

Very late one morning, 

As he lounged to school, 

Bobby met a Wow Wow 
Sitting near a pool. 

“Ho, ho !” said the Wow Wow, 
“You’re the naughty boy — 
Wasting all the teachings 
That you should enjoy.” 

Suddenly the Wow Wow, 
Jumping from his place, 
Jounced him in the water, 

Just to wash his face. 

18 


Then he used his talons 
On poor Bobby’s hair ; 

Made him mind his manners, 
Spanked him then and there. 



*9 


Now our little Bobby's 
The nicest boy around; 
When you mention Wow Wow, 
Bobby can't be found. 



20 


THE PIDDY-DINKS 


I know a queer creek, 

Where the Piddy-dinks seek 

Their little round holes in the mud : 

Where the Flip-floppers flip 
And the Skip-skoppers skip 

And the mooley cows munch at their cud. 

If you had a red scow, 

You could be there by now 
And sit in the shade of the trees 
For an hour and a half, 

To giggle and laugh 

When the Piddy-dinks whistle and wheeze. 

* 

THE BEGINNING 

Just a-walking, 

Just a-talking, 

Little butter ball ; 

Just a yearning 
To be learning 
Anything at all. 



22 


Just a-peeping 
Through the sleeping 
Months of infanthood ; 

Into wonder, 

Into yonder, 

Life’s infinitude. 

Just a-waking, 

Just a-taking 

Everything for truth ; 

Never dreaming 
Of the teeming 
Fallacies of youth. 

Just a-walking, 

Just a-talking, 

Little butter ball ; 
Just a-yearning 
To be learning 
Anything at all. 


23 



CARELESS JENNIE 

Careless Jennie, here she stands. 
See her folded, idle hands ; 

See her petticoat in tatters, 
Which to Jennie never matters. 


24 


See her stockings hanging down. 

All the buttons off her gown ; 

Careless Jennie ought to know 
Better than to wear them so. 

Now it happened, one cold day, 
Careless Jennie went away ; 

But her clothes were all so holey, 
That the wind went roley-poley 

Through each separate rent and rip, 
Till she felt its icy nip. 

Careless Jennie couldn't walk, 
Couldn't hear or couldn't talk ; 

So she froze, and froze, and froze, 
From her head down to her toes. 

Nothing left of her, I’m told, 

But a snowball, round and cold. 

Careful girls that mend their clothes 
Never freeze like Jennie froze. 


25 


EVELINA CROSSPATCH 



And from morning until night ; 

She was constantly in trouble 
And ready for a fight. 

First she slapped her little brother, 

Then she kicked and scratched her nurse ; 
Then she tried to bite her mother, 

Which was infinitely worse. 

26 


Instead of growing better, 

As she really ought to do, 

When boys and girls made fun of her 
She cross and crosser grew ; 

So Evelina Crosspatch could never go to play. 
But what the boys and girls and cats 
And dogs would run away. 

So listen, now, what happened 
When she her temper lost — 

She woke one summer morning 
And found her eyes were crossed. 

& 

TWO JOURNEYS 

How do we go to Peek-a-boo land ? 

Where the doll babies grow in the silvery strand. 
Just a gurgle and crow and a clap of the hand, 
That is the way to Peek-a-boo land. 

How do we go to Bug-a-boo land ? 

Where the rhubarb and cod-liver oil bottles stand. 
With a yelp and a howl like a cannibal band, 
That is the way to Bug-a-boo land. 


27 


THE HOP TOAD HOP 



Three little hop-toads 
Gave an evening party ; 

Every one that came to it 
Was happy, well, and hearty. 

Five spotted tree-frogs 

Were hired to play till dawn, 

While twenty thousand lightning bugs 
Lighted up the lawn. 

Grasshoppers, tadpoles, 

Katydids, and crickets 
Came from distant meadows and 
From underbrush and thickets. 

Ground moles and field mice, 

Fluffy, soft, and furry, 

28 


Had their long-tailed jackets on 
To join the hurry-scurry. 

Moonlight and starlight 
Made the evening fine; 
Everything was going well 
Till quarter after nine, 

When out jumped a tom-cat, 
Spoiling all the fun. 

Wasn’t it a pity ? for 
It hadn’t quite begun. 

* 

WHERE BABY WAS 

Where is the baby ? Nobody knows. 

Look in the plot where the hollyhock grows ; 
Out in the garden, under the rose, 

Or possibly down where the Pine Creek flows. 

Peer in the shade of the blackthorn tree, 
Skirmish the sunlit meadow, where she 
Was wont to toddle in babbling glee 
To the song of the birds and the buzz of the bee. 

Where is the baby ? Nobody knows. 

We’ve tried every spot that one could propose 
Except in the nursery ; and there in repose 
Slept baby, with dolly, in a pile of old clothes. 

29 



A RETROSPECT 

Hear the frogs a-croakin\ 
Katydids a-hummin’, 
Hear the tinkle, tinkle, 
Lowing herds a cornin'; 


3 ° 


Watch busy bumble-bees 
In the mullen quiver. 

Wish I was a boy again 
Down along the river. 

On the bank a-sittin\ 
Fishin’ and a-smokin’, 
Fightin’ pesky hornets, 
Woodchuck holes a-pokin’, 
Eatin’ stolen moshey pie, 
Gettin’ torpid liver. 

a boy 

Down along the river. 

Hear my mother callin’, 

Cattle need a-milkin', 

Hidin’ in the hay loft, 

Other chores a-bilkin’. 

See my dad a-comin’, 

Used to beg and shiver. 

Glad I ain’t a boy again 
Down along the river. 

3 1 




THE RINKY - DINKY -SO-RUS 


A Rinky-dinky-so-rus 

Sat him by a purling brook ; 

The Rinky-dinky-so-rus 
Read a mighty funny book. 

The Rinky-dinky-so-rus 
Rocked his body to and fro ; 

I 'm sure the book was funny, 
For the beast enjoyed it so. 

Now Rinky-dinky-so-rus, 
Reading such a funny book, 

Was very, awful foolish 
Thus to sit beside the brook. 

For Rinky-dinky-so-rus, 

In a sudden fit of glee, 

Fell in the purling brooklet, 
Which drownded him, you see. 


3 2 


THE SINGING LESSON 


Hi, ho ! Spring time, 

Teach my babe to sing 
Songs of yellow crocus blooms 
And red-breasts on the wing. 

Hi, ho ! Summer time. 

Sing my babe a song 
Of golden grain, of sun, of rain, 
When grass is green and long. 

Hoo, woo ! Winter time. 

Hum my babe a tune 
Of sleet and snow and angry blow, 
With white frost on the dune. 



BABY 


Oh, what do I see in my baby’s eyes ? 

The great blue seas, or the vaster skies, 

Or is it a glimpse into Paradise ? 

My own, my all ! 

Ah ! what do I hear from my baby’s lips 
That echoes the crystalline water drips. 

And rivals the sweetness of honey sips? 

My dear, my doll ! 

It must be a peep at another sphere ; 

It must be the song, soft rippling, clear, 

Of the things elsewhere, of the things not here. 

My rose, my dove ! 

Oh, tell us the mystery * who you are, 

From whence you came, how near, how far, 
And which thy God, and which thy star ? 

My life, my love ! 


34 


DUCKY 


Once I had a little duck, 

“ Quack, quack, quack/' 

Yellow fuzz and feathers stuck 

Out straight ; and some were black. 

Such a tiny, fluffy ball, 

“Quack, quack, quack." 

Couldn’t pen him in at all, 

He crept through any crack. 

Ducky’s Ma was our old hen, 

“Quack, quack, quack." 

Kept her busy, now and then, 

To follow Ducky’s track. 

Every time he went to swim, 

“Quack, quack, quack." 

She thought it was the last of him 
And fussed till he came back. 


35 


UNCLE JACK 


You ain’t dot no Uncle Jack : 

I dot one; he brings me back 
Most the purtiest fings I got ; 

See the sailor-man he bought ? 

W’en I put him in the wind 

Bof his arms des spinned and spinned. 

Don’t you wish you had one, too, 

’At yore Uncle bringed to you ? 

You ain’t dot no Uncle Jack 
’At carries you ’round piggy-back 
Th’ough the best rooms till yore Ma 
Says she ’s sure she never saw 
36 


Sech a fool as Uncle is. 

Don’t you wish ’at you was his 
Nephew, gettin’ presents, too, 

While he ’s scolded ’stead of you ? 

Oncet my Uncle made a boat 
’At I used to float and float 
In our baf-tub, till one day 
I got whoopin’ cough, an’ they 
Chopped it up for kindlin’ wood. 

Uncle said they never should 
Chop up boats lik’t ’at wifout 
Cause, and Ma, she said, git out. 

THE KICK-A-DOO 

Once I saw a Kick-a-doo 
Going up the avenue, 

Skimming ’long on roller skates. 
’Round his neck were strings of plates: 
Both his legs were thin as stilts, 
Clothes were made of crazy quilts: 

Hair was long and red and dry, 

Hat was just a pumpkin pie. 

Don’t you wish it had been you 
Who had seen the Kick-a-doo ? 


37 



They ain't sech a thing 
As a Bug-a-boo man, 

Who hides in the dark 
To ketch, if he can, 

The bad 'ittle boys 
Who won't mind their Ma. 
It’s all fal-de-ra ! 

Oncet I was naughty 
An’ cross as two sticks ; 

So Ma shet me up 
In the dark until six 

38 


O’clock in the night, 

An’ he didn’t come nigh. 

It’s all in your eye ! 

The Bug-a-boo man, 

An’ the goblins an’ witches, 

The giants and ogres, 

With pinchers and switches, 

Is only made up 
Jes’ to skeer you, you see ; 

But they never skeer me. 

& 

LITTLE BOY WITH A SLING 

High on the limb of a sycamore tree 
A little Tom Tit sang, happy and free, 

Twit, twit, twit, a quaint little song 
But not very long. 

Twit, twit, twit. Then suddenly stopped 
And quick as a wink from the limb he dropped. 
Stopped short off in the midst of his ditty. 

Oh, what a pity ! 

Never did harm to a soul I know ; 

It grieved me sadly to see him go, 

Who caused the death of the poor little thing ? 
Boy with a sling. 

39 


BUZZ BUZZ 


A Buzz Buzz sat on a Fizzy Fizz tree 
And he ruffled his fluff with pride : 

“ I like little children extremely,” said he, 

“For breakfast, or dinner, and sometimes for tea, 
With raspberry jam on the side. 

I’m a very odd bird, 

But I always preferred 
My raspberry jam on the side.” 

Then the Buzz Buzz flew to the very North Pole, 
Then he flew to the very South Sea: 

And the funniest thing in the world that he saw 

Was a Snickle Fritz take a warm bath in cold slaw, 
On the island of queer Feejee. 

“ I’m a very odd bird, 

But I know it occurred 
On the island of queer Feejee.” 

THE LOOKING-GLASS BABY 

The looking-glass baby is happy, I’m sure, 

’Way back in his looking-glass land. 

There is always a smile on his chubby round face — 
At least when there ’s candy at hand. 


40 


That looking-glass baby ’s the picture of ours, 
With his sparkling eyes, laughing and blue ; 

And he kicks up his feet in the cunningest way, 
Then he shakes his gold ringlets at you. 

Such a snub of a nose, two little pink ears, 

With never a bib that's clean ; 

Two Cupid-bow lips quite smeared with jam, 
And a frock hardly fit to be seen. 

The looking-glass baby may cry sometimes, 

But never a sound or word. 

The looking-glass baby can always be seen, 
Though never, oh, never, is heard. 

* 

GOOD SHIP SLUMBERLEE 

Come and take a sail with me 
In my vessel “Slumberlee,” 

O’er the foaming counterpane 
Splashing in and out again. 

Over bolster reefs she slips, 

Under waves of blanket dips; 

See the pillows rise on high, 

Ready to engulf us ; spry 
Slumberlee sails on and on, 

Till we anchor safe at dawn. 


41 



THE RAGDOLPHIN 


Have you seen the Ragdolphin 
Jump out of the sea ? 

Never saw a Ragdolphin ? 

Good gracious, dear me ! 

She’s the queerest, unfishiest thing that could be, 
And this is the song that she sings, sings she : 

0, wiggle me, waggle me, wee, wee, wee, 

0, jiggle me, joggle me, gee. 

You will find the Ragdolphin 
Quite close to the shore, 

In a little rock cottage 
With sand for the floor ; 


42 


And seaweed, for curtains, hung up at the door. 
And this is the song that she sings, sings she : 

O, wiggle me, waggle me, wee, wee, wee, 

O, jiggle me, joggle me, gee. 

Why, she ’s just a rag dolly 
With sea dolphin’s tail ; 

And I ’m sure we could find her 
At once, without fail 
When we go for a row or we go for a sail, 

For this is the song that she sings, sings she : 

O, wiggle me, waggle me, wee, wee, wee, 

O, jiggle me, joggle me, gee. 

If you lose your rag dolly 
Or pull out her hair, 

She ’ll become a Ragdolphin 
Before you ’re aware. 

Now wouldn’t that be a most awful affair? 

For this is the song that she sings, sings she : 

O, wiggle me, waggle me, wee, wee, wee, 

O, jiggle me, joggle me, gee. 


43 


QUEER WEATHER 


There! it’s raining. 

Dear me, suzz ! 
Queerest weather 
Ever was. 


Not five minutes 
Since ’twas clear, 
Clear as crystal, 
Now, see here 


Raining fearful. 

Look at that, 

Right upon my 
Sunday hat ! 

Mean, that things so 
Change about 
Every time I 
Wear it out ! 



44 


WILLIE WOULDN’T MIND 


This is Willie Wouldn’t Mind. 
See him hanging on behind 
That big wagon passing by ; 
How they fly ! 


45 



Look ! the wagon gives a bump, 
And big boxes fall, thump, thump. 
On poor Willie’s curly head; 

Is he dead? 


46 


Well, a doctor going by 
Took poor Willie home to die ; 
And his parents cry and cry, 
My, oh ! my ! 



47 


FOOZLE-DOOZLE JOURNEYS 


(Kindness of the Edgewood Publishing Co.) 


Little Teddy Hathaway 

Studied lessons night and day 

Digging out the mystery of his natural history. 

Suddenly one evening, just as he felt sleepiest, 

There before his very eyes 

Blinked a Foozle-Doozle wise. 

“ Hello, Teddy !” Foozle said, 

“Now I’m sure you never read 
Of a Foozle-Doozle, no, even though you study so ; 
Well, my laddie, never mind, you will find me very 
kind ; 

Would you like to take a trip 
Through the woods of Kippernip, 



48 


Where unnatural things are sent ? ” 
“Yes,” said Teddy ; so they went. 

When they reached the Wizard Wood 
There a big Tim-Fooler stood 
Clinging to a monster tree, 

Tapping at it lustily 

“What you doing up there, Tim ?” 

Foozle-Doozle said to him. 

“Oh,” said Tim, “I ’m making three 
Artificial limbs, you see.” 

Then, without another word, 

He commenced upon the third. 

“ My,” said Teddy, “ is that Tim’s 
Occupation, making limbs?” 

“Yes,” the Foozle-Doozle said, 
“That’s his only business, Ted.” 


Now they came upon a stream 
Of molasses, which between 
Banks of biscuits swiftly flowed 
Right along beside the road, 

Over which a candy bridge 
Stretched across from ridge to ridge, 


49 


Where a grinning Goo-Goo sat 
Shelling peanuts in his hat 
Till the hat was full, when lo, 

Dumped them in the stream below. 

“ Look I” the Foozle-Doozle cried, 

Calling Teddy to his side, 

“ Peanut taffy starts right here.” 

“My,” said Teddy, “ain't that queer.” 

Crossing Candy Bridge, they went 
To a field of some extent. 

Here they found some funny flowers 
Growing just like some of ours, 

Only every bud was bobbing, 

Kicking, moving, shaking, throbbing. 
“What are these ?” said Teddy, shrinking, 
“They are very odd, I’m thinking.” 

“Yes,” the Foozle-Doozle said, 

“That ’s a green grass-hopper bed ; 

Those upon the left expanse — 

Hop-toad vines and bird-egg plants.” 
“Oh,” said Teddy, “my, I say, 

I never knew they grew that way.” 

“Yes, indeed,” his friend replied, 

“Even centipedes beside.” 

5 ° 


Going on, they climbed a hill 
Smooth and round as any pill. 

All the rocks were fruits and cakes. 
Teddy said, “For pity sakes." 
“Yes," said Foozle-Doozle, “these 
Spoons grow too, instead of trees ; 
This is Ice Cream Hill, you know." 
“ My !" said Teddy, “ is that so ? 

I should like to try a bit." 
Thereupon they tackled it. 


“Now," the Foozle-Doozle said, 
Turning tearfully to Ted, 

“We have had a pleasant trip 
Through the woods of Kippernip, 
And I trust you learned a lot 
More than schooling ever taught." 
“Yes," said Teddy, “won’t they stare 
When I tell them over there 
At the school-house what we saw, 
Won’t there be a great hurrah ? " 


“But," the Foozle-Doozle sighed, 
“ Here is where our paths divide." 

5 1 


Then he vanished in the night. 
Teddy watched him out of sight 
In a zephyr blue and slim. 

That ’s the last he saw of him. 



52 





Mrs. Mousie went to market 
With her basket on her arm, 

On a dewy summer morning, 

Never thinking once of harm, 

When, pop! came a Weasel. 

Now, then, what you think of that? 
With velvet coat and trimmings 
And a feather in his hat. 

“Ho, Mistress Mousie ! ” 

Said the Weasel; “ my, how sweet 
53 


You look this summer morning, 

Really sweet enough to eat.” 

“Oh, thank you, Master Weasel I” 

Said the timid Mrs. Mousie ; 

“You, also, look quite killing 
In your velvet coat and blouse. 

“ But I must be off to market, 

Or 111 miss the bread and cheese.” 

“Then 1 11 help you,” said the Weasel, 
“With your basket, if you please.” 

Mrs. Mousie was so frightened 
While a-walking by his side 

That she couldn’t help but notice 
That he looked quite hungry-eyed. 

“There’s the market, Master Weasel, 
On that bit of mossy ground. 

So good morning; hope I’ll see you 
When again you come around.” 

“Not so fast there, Mistress Mousie; 

I shall get your cheese and bread, 

And safely see you home again,” 

The gallant Weasel said. 

54 


But hi, ho ! when he entered, 
The market door went snap ! 
And foolish Master Weasel 
Found him fastened in a trap. 

Thus, clever Mrs. Mousie 
Saved her pretty little head, 
And silly Master Weasel 
Lost his wicked one instead. 

* 

THE VENTURESOME PUPS 



Fuzz and Fluff were tiny pups, 

Soft as butter and round as cups; 
Fuzz was black and Fluff was white, 
Both had noses dark as night. 

“ Ho ! ” said Fluff, “I'm off to find 
A rat or mouse of some fierce kind; 
And if I see a wolf or owl, 

Or cat or weasel, then I’ll growl.” 


55 


L.ofC. 


“ Good ! ” said Fuzz, “ and I ’ll go, too, 
And bark and jump and growl like you ; 
No animal in all the place 
Would dare to meet us face to face.” 

Then off they went, these woolly balls. 
Through the nursery, ’cross the halls, 
Brave and fearless. Listen, hark ! 
Something moving in the dark. 

Fuzz and Fluff were scared to death, 
Didn’t dare to draw their breath ; 

Back they flew like streaks of light 
Into their basket, out of sight. 

“ My !” said Fluff, “ now, what was that. 
An elephant or tiger cat ? ” 

“I’m sure,” said Fuzz, “ I couldn’t say, 
But home’s the best place, anyway I” 



56 



“ When I grow up,” said Willie Bewise, 
“ I think that I shall be 
A noted ent-o-mol-o-gist, 

Exalting my fam-i-ly.” 

57 


So he commenced with implements, 
Including the pins and net ; 

For never an ent-o-mol-o-gist 
Had done without them yet. 

From early morning till late at night 
He ran and crept and dug, 

Returning at night, his knapsack filled 
With every kind of bug. 

Comprising the beetle, the lantern-fly, 
Can-thar-is, the flea, 

The gooseberry worm, the bottle-fly, 

The soldier-bug and bee. 

He stuck them up on the wall, he did, 
With pins right through their backs ; 

Putting in cases the fragile-winged, 

Others he placed in racks. 

Then smiling, he viewed that bright array 
Before to bed he went, 

Though nary a wink of sleep got he, 

His mind so bug intent. 

He tried to doze, but vain attempt, 

It wouldn’t succeed at all, 

For all at once the pins dropped out 
And the bugs crawled down the wall. 

58 



Of the silent horde of punctured things 
Creeping around his cot. 

59 


Then lo ! behold, as quick as a wink 
They swarmed upon the bed, 

While Willie Bewise had scarcely time 
To hide his throbbing head. 

They tackled him through the counterpane, 
They pinched him through his gown ; 

Procuring a pin they spitted him, 

Which firmly held him down. 

The soldier-bug then said to the bee ; 

“I can’t remember when 

I Ve seen such a rara avis, 

Or such a fine spec-i-men.” 

This set the other bugs wild with mirth, 
They held their sides for joy, 

As they wandered ’round and ’round the bed, 
Viewing the struggling boy. 

The squirming ent-o-mol-o-gist did 
Nothing but plead and groan, 

Vowing he ’d leave all butterflies 
And other poor bugs alone. 

The lantern-fly then said to the bee : 

“All right ; we ’ll take his word.” 

So, loosing the pin, they all crept down 
So soft that none was heard. 


60 


The sun was up four hours or more 
When Willie woke up to find 
A doctor standing by his bed 
And mother just behind. 

The doctor smiled and said, said he, 

“He ’s overstrained, that ’s all.” 

Then Willie Bewise was glad to find 
The bugs still on the wall. 

THE FAMILY 

Two pink eyes that sparkle 
bright, 

Thick soft hair of purest 
white, 

Long pink ears, no tail in 
sight; 

Bunny. 

Soft black fur and eyes green- 
gray, 

Sees as well by night as day, 
Little claws that scratch at 
play; 

Kitty. 

61 




Round flat ears and two pink eyes, 
A long pink tail just twice his size, 
A sharp pink nose and claws like- 
wise ; 

Mousie. 




Short white hair, coal-black 
nose, 

Barks and growls, tears your 
clothes, 

Wags his tail at those he 
knows ; 

Doggy. 


Two round eyes of azure blue, 
Two red lips as fresh as dew, 
Golden curls and pink ears, 
too; 

Baby. 



62 


BOOKS for the CHILDREN 


Andy and the Ignoramus 

By George Reiter Brill 

Trotty’s Trip 

By Carolyn Wells 

The Froggy Fairy Book 

By A. J. Drexel Biddle 

The 2d Froggy Fairy Book 

By A. J. Drexel Biddle 

With artistic cover designs, and illustrations in colors 
and black and white. 

PRICE, FIFTY CENTS EACH 


For sale by all Booksellers, or by the Publishers 

DREXEL BIDDLE 

228 SOUTH FOURTH STREET, PHILADELPHIA 



















































































































































































































1 

» -4 


SEP 26 1902 








1 COPY on. TOCAT.niV 
SEP. 26 ’902 


SEP 29 1902 

















































































































































































